As a Student Ambassador for FIRST® Robotics, Arielle was onsite at the 2016 Los Angeles Regional FIRST® Robotics competition. The competition, at the Long Beach Arena, was open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, March 11th and 12th.

Themed “FIRST Stronghold™”, the competition combined a sporting event with the excitement of a rock concert–and was all about robots, fun, education and hands-on experience. Nonprofit FIRST®’s name is an acronym for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”. Started in a New Hampshire high school in 1992, FIRST® has grown to a national organization which has reached more than 400,000 young people, according to their website.

Competitions were happening all across the nation over the weekend. The Long Beach event alone involved 1600 students from 66 regional high schools.

Just before the doors opened on Saturday, Arielle explained how the competition works. She also talked about her previous experiences as a high-school student on one of FIRST® Robotics’ teams, and how the experience prepared her for her current college studies.

On this edition of Over Coffee®, you’ll hear:

What’s happening in the 2016 FIRST® Robotics Competition;

What’s involved for the participating student teams;

Arielle’s own experience with FIRST® Robotics during high school.

The 2016 U.S. FIRST® Championship happens April 27-30 in St. Louis, Missouri. Here’s the link for more information and the live feed.

FIRST® also has scholarship opportunities! Here’s that link for more information and updates.